Southwest Medical Center announced the arrival of general surgeon, Imudia Ehanire, M.D. ‘09, M.B.A., to the Liberal community in August. Dr. Ehanire joined Southwest Medical Center’s surgical team as part of the Southwest Professional Physicians (SWPP) General Surgery clinic.
Dr. Ehanire was raised in Nigeria before moving to the United States to complete her education and pursue a degree in medicine. She explains her passion for the medical field began at an early age.“My dad is an orthopedic trauma surgeon and my mom is an ENT surgeon,” Ehanire said. “My dad was a very good story teller. He would tell us stories about the ancient Greeks and tales from Nigeria, but he would also tell us stories about his work. He talked about patients he had seen, the burns he repaired, and about the bones he had put back together. That really sparked my imagination as a little girl wanting to learn more about medicine.”Ehanire added her interest in medicine only grew after having the opportunity to travel to work with her father and help check on patients around the age of seven.
Years later, she graduated Magna cum Laude with her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mount Saint Mary’s College, and completed her medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Ehanire says working as a surgeon came naturally to her as she was deciding upon her medical specialty.“I knew a lot about surgery and I really enjoy working with my hands. In terms of creativity, I draw a lot and I love putting things together, so the idea of being able to help people by working with my hands pulled me toward surgery,” Ehanire added, “There’s something very gratifying about fixing a problem for someone through surgery.”
In addition to her medical degree, Ehanire also obtained her Master’s in Business Administration.“I pursued my MBA because I wanted to know more about finance,” Ehanire said. “I’m very interested in hospital administration and the efficient running of a hospital, including quality improvement, cost effectiveness, and excellent patient care.”
Dr. Ehanire says excellent outcomes and providing education for each patient are both important components of her care philosophy.“I hope patients walk away with a good understanding of what has happened – of what we did and what the outcome was,” Ehanire said. “It’s very important to me that my patients understand their care process and that they are satisfied with the care that they’ve received.”
